Opening Films

by INLANDER STAFF & r & & r & BEFORE THE RAINS & r & & r & In India, an English spice baron settles in a South Indian village and begins an affair with a married Indian housekeeper. There are hiccups when the spice merchant's wife returns, but things get straight dangerous when the cuckolded husband finds out about the affair. Lauded by critics. From the director of Tsotsi. (LB) Rated PG-13





THE MUMMY: TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR


This charmless exercise in overblown action steals shamelessly from its predecessors and Indiana Jones, but not what it should have stolen: the wonderfully cheeky attitude. A cursed Chinese emperor (Jet Li) is buried forever in statue form until dug up by the O'Connells -- Rick (Brendan Fraser), Evelyn (Maria Bello, a poor substitute for Rachel Weisz) and Alex (Luke Ford), their 30-year-old teenage son. The Mummy would have winked at this; Tomb doesn't even know that it's something to be winked at. (MAJ) Rated PG-13





SWING VOTE


A drunk, lazy, out-of-work single dad (Kevin Costner) is pushed into voting in a presidential election by his civic-minded daughter (Madeline Carroll). But things, as they will in political comedies, go wrong. The race is so tight, it comes down to one vote: his. And now the candidates and the media and every group-with-a-cause wants a piece of him. It's a sharp, funny satire, and now there's proof that Costner can take a mighty fine pratfall. (ES) Rated PG-13